Life's Only Exception
by Caligula00
Summary: Draco Malfoy and George Weasley struggle against their new lives after the war. George, whom Draco thought would be the last person he'd ever see gets caught up with his problem and ends up drinking tea with him. George thinks if he'll ever see him again.
1. On the same boat

"Don't hurt me..please...please", the young Malfoy whimpered at the sight of the wand that was pointed at him. "I can't believe Potter had the heart to spare you and your mum's lives. You should have joined your father in Azkaban, you scum!" Malfoy scanned the dark alleyway for something...anything he can use to defend himself from his oppressor. He found a nearby pebble and kicked it far behind him to create a distraction. The man immediately lowered his wand and looked behind the boy for a few moments and Malfoy took the chance to escape.

Malfoy kicked the dirt under his shoes and wiped them off the rug before he got through the door of his house. He called for his family's house elf for some ice cold brandy to alleviate his problems at the very least, but before the cold beverage touched his lip, Narcissa swung open the doors of her son's room. "Draco!", his mother screamed even before she could set a foot inside the room. "Where have you been the whole afternoon? I believe I didn't give you the permission to leave this house." Narcissa gave her son a stern look. "Mother, do forgive me for my foolish actions. I was just trying to look for something better to do." Malfoy didn't look at his mother when he talked. He kept his eyes still at the untouched brandy.

"You do know very well that we aren't exactly loved by the others out there, don't you? Your father is not here to protect us and if you dare put our name lower than it already is, I swear to-" Narcissa was cut off when Malfoy decided to finish off the sentence harshly.  
"..to put me in the same place as my father? to Azkaban?" The boy looked truly depressed as he looked at his mother. Narcissa couldn't speak a word after she saw the bitterness in her son's face.

Speechless, Narcissa just took the brandy out of Draco's hands and placed it at a nearby table. "Alcohol is never the solution, dear."  
"And neither is staying in this house, doing nothing. It will only give me more time to ask myself why we deserve all this."  
Narcissa just sighed and looked at her son one last time before she left the room. "As a mother, I am ashamed for not knowing how to comfort her own son, but please Draco, don't do this to yourself. I love you. You father and I do." Quietly, almost like a whisper, she greeted her son goodnight before she closed the door shut.

"I love you too, mom, but I'm afraid your love is not enough to rid me off my problems." Malfoy saw the brandy that her mother forgot to take out with her on the table. He pushed himself up from his bed, gulpped down the brandy and got ready for bed.

* * *

It was five in the morning and George hasn't gotten a minute of sleep. He was looking through some papers and for evey page turned, he had an expression of disappointment on his face. George threw away the writings one by one into the garbage as he rejected them all. "These ideas are just completely silly...and not in a good way." George spoke to himself before finishing the rest of his already-cold coffee. He took a last minute glance at the clean sheet of paper on his desk and tapped his pen a couple of times, hoping something will pop in his head. NOthing. He was completely out of ideas for a new invention.

He heard the door open followed by some heavy steps down the stairs. It was Ron in his bathrobe with a tooth brsh and mug at hand.  
"G'morning, George." He greeted his older brother with a slight smile. "Up so early? Or have you been awake all this time?" George gave his brother a lazy nod and asked his brother if he had any fresh new ideas. "You asking me? Well maybe some really effective bug spray to keep all the creepy spiders out of the house. Woke up screaming when I saw one on my bed one time, you know?" George leaned against his chair and raised a brow. "That's completely boring, Ron. I'd rather make something that duplicates spiders rather than killing them. Besides, there are tons of that already, y'know..at the market?" Ron shrugged and was on his way to the loo.

"What would you have thought of, Fred?" George sighed under his breathe as he asked his deceased twin. George never really gotten over the fact that Fred was already gone. He would even sometimes pause in the middle of a sentence to wait for Fred to finish the rest of it or he would jump out of bed excitedly to nodge his brother awake and scream at his ear for a brilliant new idea he's thought of, but he always awoke to the realization that his very own twin was gone. George wasn't used to it. For him, Fred was like his pair. He couldn't function properly without him. He thought that maybe their shop will have to close down if he didn't think of something quick.

George didn't get any sleep in the end. He closed the door behind him and started on his morning walk, hoping the morning breeze will frshen his mind a bit.

He also decided to stop by Diagon Alley to buy some ingredients just in case a brilliant idea popped in his head. He didn't think so, though.  
He was probably just looking for a good excuse to stay out of the house. George was on his way to his last stop when he heard Malfoy's name being screamed out loud like he was caught stealing something. He looked around to see where the boisterous shouting came from, but saw nothing until he turned around and noticed a hand was pulling on his coat. He looked straight and saw that some blond was pulling him to the nearest alleyway.

"What in Merlin's name...?" George tried to shrug off the hand that was tugged on his shoulder. "I-I'm really sorry, sir. I didn't mean to...Weasley?"  
Malfoy suddenly drew back his hand at the sight of the red head, his expression like disgust. "I see you haven't changed. Still treat me like I'm some kind of horrifying creature about to pounce on you." After fixing his coat, George bent down to pick up one of the bags he dropped while he was being dragged away."I'm sorry. Uhh...force of habit." Malfoy smiled a bit, thinking it was a bit funny, but George wasn't amused. He gripped the bags tight and was on his way out. "Wait! Don't you want to know why I suddenly pulled you here? Aren't you shocked? Curious?" Malfoy tugged on George's coat once again having a scared and troubled look on his face. "Shocked, yes. Curious, not really. And please stop pulling into my coat.  
I can't afford to buy another one if it gets ripped unlike you Malfoys."

Malfoy hesitantly let go of George's coat. He didn't want him to leave him just yet so he stopped him by asking a rather shallow question.  
"Why aren't you curious?" Of course Malfoy knew the answer more or less, but he was just trying to distract George. "Don't think I'm stupid, Malfoy. I know very well that you're just trying to use me as some human shield to protect you from whoever's after you."

The blond looked down to his feet after hearing the ugly truth from George. He felt embarassed, really and it made him think twice about using one of the Weasleys like that. George was kind of shocked to see a Malfoy look down in embarassment and not talk back in defense for once. "I apologize. It's just that I-" Malfoy shut his mouth when he saw the man that was looking for him from afar. Quickly, he hid behind the nearest object that could conceal his presence.

"Hey, boy! Yea, you with the red hair. Saw that Malfoy kid anywhere?" The first thing that George noticed was a mouth filled with copper teeth and a foul odor coming from in between them. He saw that the man was also not dressed appropriately. He had a cloak that was rather ragged draped over his shoulders and the bottom ends were covered with mud. Then his eyes finally traveled to his face and Merlin, did he look scary! George barely kept a straight face on him and he felt himself twitch. "Malfoy? Why, no, my good sir. I wouldn't think that such a snotty brat like him would walk the streets of this place."

George, regaining his manners, managed to smile at the man properly and heard him grunt as he left. "He's gone. you can breath now." George confirmed. He watched the cautious boy come out from behind the dumpster, shaking a little. Malfoy cleaned out the dirt from his pants and regained his posture, looking proud once again.

"Good sir? Snotty brat? What was that all about?" Malfoy snarled. "Yeah, you're welcome. Okay, Malfoy, so maybe I am a little curious. Who was that loving fan you were hiding from?" Malfoy glared at him, thinking that his sarcasms weren't funny at all. George held back the insults as much as he thought how funny it would be to piss him off some more. He remembered that he and Fred used to love teasing the brat.

"It's not funny, Weasley. You have no idea how much my mother and I are suffering right now!" Malfoy's eyes grew large and covered his mouth."..I can't believe I just told you that." He looked away.

"So I'm supposed to pity you now?" Malfoy didn't speak a word. He was just looking down at his feet again, looking almost pitiful. George looked at him for a while. He seemed like he was arguing to himself about something. "Why don't we continue this with a cup of tea?"  
Malfoy held his head up and studied George's expression. He didn't seem to be joking so he gave him a little nod.

"You want anything?" George waited for Malfoy's response as he seemed too busy traveling into space. Finally, he looked up and told George that he'll be having some alcoholic beverage. "This is a cafe if you haven't noticed the smell of the coffee." Malfoy seemed really out of it. George even looked slightly worried about the boy. "Then I'll have whatever you're having." Malfoy went back to staring into space, his grey eyes looked lifeless.

"So...what's all this drama about?" Malfoy suddenly attacked him verbally. Clearly, he was not one for jokes especially in this situation. "You think that this is some kind of joke, don't you? Your kind are just so used to the proud and bratty Draco Malfoy that you think you can fool around with me anytime?" Malfoy's voice was loud and most likely audible to the other customers around. Luckily, there weren't too many present. George slightly tilted his head downward to avoid showing his face to the customers.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I should let you know that I'm not one to comfort people lovingly. But really, Malfoy. Why go out in a place like this if you know very well that there are people like that?" George really had to stop the insults before he sends Malfoy out the door, making people think that they have a fling or something.

"Because I find going outdoors less disturbing than staying in my very own home hearing my mother's mourning and lecturing all day long." George understood this. He, himself didn't want to get cooped up in the house the whole day thinking about the loss of his brother and killing himself over thinking too much of new things to invent.

The tea came in after a few minutes of small talk. George blew on it and took a sip. He saw Malfoy just staring at it like there was a worm in it. "Why is it...violet?" Malfoy looked completely grossed out. After sipping the tea, George took a sniff of it and settled it down. The tea had a good smell. It was obviously violet because of the lavender scent and it just had the right sweetness to it. Plus, it was very soothing to the senses after gulping it down. It was the perfect drink for someone who is troubled.

"Drink it. It's their best seller. I assure you that it's not poison. Neither does it taste funny." Malfoy frowned and looked down at it. He hesitantly sipped the weird colored drink and much to his surprise, it was really good. Looks like there may be a substitute to alcohol after all. George smiled a bit to see that his companion likes it.

Malfoy looked around the room for anyone who might be staring at him with complete abomination. There weren't any. Most of them were a bunch of old people who just finished their morning walk and decided to freshen up here then his gaze turned to George's face. He looked at him for a while and could not help, but notice that his eyebags were huge and dark especially when hit by the sun's rays. "When was the last time you took a day off? You look absolutely hideous with those dark circles around your eyes."George just took the insult. He didn't want to anger Malfoy again who already seemed fine. "Work. Haven't gotten any bright ideas so I've been pushing myself."

MAlfoy finished up the tea and settled it down for the last time. He wiped the corners of his mouth before he could speak. "I see. As much as I hate to admit it, but I think we're in the same boat, Weasley. I know of your loss and you clearly know what my problem is." He continued, "Well isn't this swell. Two emotionally disturbed boys drinking tea in in an old cafe." Malfoy was just about to bring out his money from his pockets when George raised his hand to call one of the bus boys and told Malfoy that it was on him.

"I best be going home now before any other ugly men try to kidnap me for my money unless you can escort me back home like a good weasel you are." George just chuckled and stood up from his chair. He found himself looking at Malfoy, almost examining him. He was much taller than him. Perhaps a whole foot taller. He also noticed that he was much thinner than he last saw him, not that he scrutinizes him. It was obvious when he looked at him.

They were both outside the exit when Malfoy, a few steps ahead of him remembered something. "Weasley, thank you...for the tea and the time you most probably couldn't bare."George thought for a second that he was hearing wrong when he heard Malfoy speak those words and thought there still might be a smeer of tea on the corners of his lips that made it look like a smile. He was mistaken. He really was smiling at him even if it were only for a brief moment then he turned away and left.

'What in the world?', George thought to himself. That was very unlike him to do that. He thought that he'd never see the day Malfoy smile without the mischievous aura enveloping him. Well, whatever he thought, those words and that smile lifted him up a bit. 'No way', he thought 'No way.'


	2. Trust me

"Come on now, Draco. Get in. Don't dawdle any longer." Draco got in the carriage after placing the last of his luggage at the back.  
They were on their way to Azkaban to have their monthly visit to their very own husband and father, Lucius Malfoy. Draco had to deal with his mother ordering him around and telling him to move faster when this time of the month came. Draco didn't bother though. He knows very well that his mother misses his father so much. "Move already. We're all packed and seated." Narcissa hastily ordered the driver. She leaned back on her seat when the carriage started to move. "Mother, relax. Father is not moving an inch from there." Narcissa tried to remain calm and buttoned up the rest of her coat.

It wasn't long before they reached Azkaban. It was still isolated as it ever was, surrounded with waters that hit the sides of the island. The tower remained tall, dark and gloomy, same as always except there were no more Dementors.

Draco got down first and helped her mother off the carriage, carrying her purse with his other hand. He handed it back to her as soon as Narcissa's feet were stable on the ground. A guard approached to escort them to the tower as he would always do. Draco hated it when they had to pass the most appalling of all places. He would see the prisoners stick their hands out of their cages, clawing the air with their grimy finger had to dodge every single one of those and he just abhored those men who howled such foul and provocative language. He would turn to his mother like a scared little boy being cautious in the dark, but Narcissa would just tell him to ignore it all.

They finally arrived at Lucius' cell. It wasn't anything special, meaning no larger spaces or polished furniture around. There were no exceptions to all the prisoners there. The cell looked almost the same as the others perhaps only cleaner due to Lucius' dirt-defiant see on things. He was just seated on his ragged bed when his family arrived.

"Lucius!" Narcissa ran towards Lucius's cell and reached out her arm through the bars. Lucius stood up and drew closer to his wife.  
He held the outstretched arm and kissed it lightly. Lucius didn't look like his normal, well groomed self, of course.  
His beard was like that of a bum, unshaven and all over his jaw. His eyes slightly deteriorating from its sockets. He looked awful.  
"Have you been eating well, dear? Are you sick? You look awful." Narcissa bombarded him with questions. Lucius held her arm tighter to calm her down a bit. "I'm okay. I don't starve myself to death."

Draco looked at the two of them just a few steps behind Narcissa. He waited patiently for Lucius to end his conversation with his mother and call him forth to have a conversation with him.

Lucius gestured for him to come closer. He studied his son's face before he began to speak. "You don't look very well, my boy. Came here to tell your father once again the bad news back at home, i assume?" Draco didn't respond immediately. He was speechless, looking at his father's awaiting expression. "I asked you a question, Draco. Have you forgotten your manners?" Lucius was a bit aggravated like he always was towards his son's simplest flaws. Draco decided to speak up, but he couldn't help but stammer. "N-not everything is unfortunate back home, father." Lucius raised a brow. "Oh? Then what fortunate event could have happened then, my dear boy?"

Yes, Draco was still afraid of his father even behind bars. Lucius was to be imprisoned in Azkaban for a whole decade and it hasn't passed a year yet since the first day of his imprisonment.

"Besides not being physically hurt, I ran into one of the Weasleys, one of the twins, I presume. He sort of helped me escape from a hideous man who was trying to assault me." Lucius rubbed the facial hair under his chin. "A Weasley, huh? Tell me, how did he help you out. Did he apparate you back home?" Draco shook his head and noticed that his father was interested about the topic. "Why would you want to know, father?" Draco wanted to slap his mouth for blurting those words out. He knew questioning his father meant big trouble for him, but then to his surprise, Lucius' words were gentle. "Because I want to know what my son has been up to and who he is mingling with." That was a lie. Clearly, Lucius has already thought of something mischievous. "So back to my question. How did he help you out?"

"Well he lied to the man that i was never around the area while I...hid behind a dumpster." Lucius chuckled. "You hid behind a dumpster? Pitiful..and then?" Draco was embarassed after admitting to his cowardly acts. It was quite difficult for him to impress his parents, really.  
"I told him about what me and mum have been going through. He seemed to show some sympathy on me so he bought me a drink in some cafe." Lucius was quite surprised with all this; His son conversing with a Weasley in a none offensive way and being treated a drink by someone much less fortunate than they are?

Lucius gave a little smirk, but Draco didn't notice. "Here's what you do, son. I want you to meet up with that Weasley boy again then befriend him. Buy him a brand new coat or some shoes for the coming winter. Start anew." Draco knew his father well. He was definitely up to no good, but whether he liked it or not, he had to follow orders. "Then...what do I do after that?" Lucius looked at his son's curious expression and raised a brow. "You mean after befrending him? Get on his good side, make him do more favors for you. You know what to do."

Lucius planned on using the Weasleys to his own benefits just like what happened years back and Draco was the key to all that. He knew he could count on his son for that, knowing that he would never refuse an order. He only worried about Draco chickening out, but what could be more terrifying than a father's wrath?

"Don't tell your mother about this conversation, alright?" Draco nodded, but he didn't seem to like this idea. He was scared. Scared, to get involved with his father's crimes. "Listen Draco, you will get me out of this prison as soon as possible or I will disown you as my son, do you understand?"  
Draco's eyes were huge as he franticaly nodded. He found his father's hand pulling onto his shirt. Lucius carefully let go after a while and patted the crumpled fabric to not make his actions too obvious to the others present.

"Good boy. I'm done talking to you." He kept his composure. It was perfect timing when the guard approached the cell and told them that visiting time was over. Narcissa took Draco's hand and waved goodbye to her husband. Draco turned to his father for the last time and nodded once before they departed.

* * *

Draco found himself in front of Weasley's Wizard Weezes a few days after visiting Azkaban. He reminded himself why he was doing this and let out a sigh. He could barely see anything thru the small windows of the door so he drew closer to it and peered inside. Before he focused his eyes on anything that was in there, the door flew open and left Draco cursing out loud.

"Ow, ow, ouch!" Draco held his nose and noticed some red liquid dripping from his nose. "So sorry! Didin't see you there, sss..you again?" George recognized the blond hair and the over dramatic curses. "Yes, it's me, Malfoy...with a BLEEDING NOSE, if you haven't noticed, Weasley!" Draco growled at George.

"A'right, a'right. Keep your nose on." George chuckled at his own joke. "Not funny, weasel." George took the bleeding Malfoy into the shop and told him to take a seat while he went upstairs to look for something to cure his injury. Luckily, there weren't any customers to stare and laugh at him.

Draco brought out a hankdkerchief from his pocket and placed the fabric over his nose. It was bleeding quite abruptly so Draco couldn't help but whimper and constantly curse. "Hurry! I might suffer from blood loss." George rolled his eyes at the absurd comment. He came back with his wand at hand. "Don't heal me with that thing. I'm scared you might make my nose come off or something." Draco held on to his nose, but George insisted on healing it. He grabbed the bloody hand off Draco's face and casted a spell on it. "There. The bleeding's stopped already. Just wipe the rest of the blood off your nose. He threw a towel right on his face.

"You should have seen yourself screaming like a complete lunatic over your bloody nose." George commented harshly. "I know what I did. Don't need to point it out." Draco wiped the rest of the blood off and put his handkerchief back in his pocket. "So what brings you here? Being chased again, I presume?" George leaned on his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I just...I wanted to.." Draco couldn't find himself to tell the truth. Well, the truth that his father wanted, that is. "You wanted to..?" George raised both his brows, helping Malfoy with his unfinished sentence. "..just wanted to get something that would cheer up my mother." His lie was so obvious to George. They both know very well that Narcissa abhored useless and childish things. None of the Malfoys would never have entered the store at the first place.

"I didn't know that your skills in lying were as bad as your death eater's." George saw Draco scowl. "Don't you dare joke about that again. Better yet, don't mention death eaters again." George fell silent, but didn't apologize. He looked at Draco's expression, almost feeling sorry for him. He grabbed his working chair and sat in front of him. "Tell me the truth then. Why are you here?"

"I'm not hiding from anyone, if that's what you think. I had some free time on my hands and I thought if I could pass by here to...talk to you." Draco thought that he was making a fool out of himself. Being seen by George already got him feeling so disconcerted.

"Talk to me?" He laughed. About what exactly? Came here to rant about how horrible you've been feeling since there's no one else in the entire wizarding world to listen to you anymore?"

"Stop it! ...just please." Draco had more than enough insults coming from almost everyone he knew. He felt his own face heat up and it didn't take long until tears began to fill up his eyes. "No, I didn't come here to rant about my problems and neither am I here to argue with you. I came here on my own accord because maybe I am seeking comfort from even you, a Weasley because you were the only person out of everyone I know who didn't treat me like shit!" Draco couldn't hold back the tears and so he let them fall freely down his face. He wiped them with the back of his hand then he noticed George already holding out his handkerchief to him.

"I'm sorry.." George felt something tighten in his gut. Guilt. He didn't mean to insult him too much, enough to make him cry. He felt like doing something more to the poor Malfoy besides giving him his hanky, but he was afraid that his further actions might get Draco more uncomfortable.

Draco wiped off the last of his tears and dabbed his eyes with the fabric some more, hoping that that would conceal his reddish eyes. He placed the handkerchief on the table next to him and fell silent. George offered him some water to drink, but Draco just replied with a shake of his head.

"You must think that I'm more pathetic than I ever was before, don't you?" George shook his head. "No, it's all right. It's kind of reassuring, actually." Draco tilted his head to the side and raised his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I've never seen you cry before. It gives me more reason to make you stay here all the while. I know it's selfish, but I first thought that the reason why you were standing by the door was because you were up to no good again." George found Draco's expression suddenly looking agitated. "So you did hit me purposely, didn't you?" George corrected him. "No, I swear I didn't notice that you were standing right next to the door." Draco was about to make another shrewd comment, but he closed his mouth.

"You can use my room. Customers will be coming in very soon." George started to clean up his last night's paper work, stuffing it all in one bag. Not a very organized fellow he was. "I don't want to use your room. I want to stay right here." Draco still sat on his chair and didn't intend to move from it any time soon. "Suit yourself. Just don't go complaining to me if you start getting bored."

It was already past an hour and not a single soul has passed thru the door of the shop. "So, how long does 'very soon' usually take?" Draco uttered one of his sardonic comments. "Oh, shut up, Malfoy. Business here hasn't been going so well since the end of the war, alright?" George spoke in defense while he looked out the window for nearby shoppers. "Is that the only reason? I may not go here ever so often, but this place looks like a wreck more than I thought it would already be. Your products are not properly aligned and sorted out, cobwebs on the shelves and did you see the way you just dumped your paperwork in a bag just like that?"

George turned his head to look at everything Draco pointed out. He was right. Everything was a mess and he was probably too preoccupied with creating new ideas that he didn't notice the smaller things. "Well, I was always too busy with other matters and besides Fred was-." He sighed. It hurts him everytime he talked about how much better everything was with his twin around. George pulled back the curtains and threw himself against his chair. "This is awful. Soon enough we'll be forced to close down the shop." He sighed again.

"Oh, stop that pitiful mourning of yours. You just don't know how to organize things properly much more as yourself." Draco stood up and reached for the bag which George stuffed his papers in. "I'll go look for a folder for these things while you go get a broom to clean this place up or better yet, your wand since you couldn't be lazier than a sloth."

George thought he was hallucinating. He found Draco at the backroom looking for some old folders to file his papers in. Soon enough he got up on his feet and started casting cleaning spells here and there. Draco helped out after he filed the papers properly.

"There. Much better now, don't you agree, Weasley?" Draco dusted his hands and was about to reach for the hankdkerchief in his pocket when he remembered that it was all covered in blood. "I don't get it, Malfoy. Surely, you would never have done such a thing for me. You sure you haven't been hexed or something?" Draco snorted. "Do you want me to lick the floors clean to earn your trust?" George laughed at the idea when he pictured the image in his head. Surely, that would be something he would never forget. "That would be nice to see!" Draco rolled his eyes.

The two sat together for some tea after cleaning up the shop. Draco noticed that it was the same drink he had a week ago when George brought him to that cafe. "I was able to copy the exact same thing. It's really addicting." George took another sip. "You should give me the recipe then so I won't have to go back and forth to that place anymore." George nodded.

Draco was staring at the odd color of the drink. His fingers were caressing the sides of the cup as he got himself lost in thought once again. George found himself watching Draco's smallest movements, much like observing him then his eyes traveled to his face. His expression so peaceful like he's never seen Malfoy like that before. His grey eyes were fixated on his drink and its color slightly reflected on Draco's pale. He wasn't the smug little bastard he's always viewed him as anymore. He saw that this was the Draco Malfoy, completely harmless and was in need of company; good company. It didn't take long for George to notice that he was already so attracted to him.

"Weasley, what can I do to earn your trust?" Draco finally traveled back to the real world and saw that it was George now who was staring not into space, but at Draco absentmindedly. George blinked and realized that Draco's question was not an easy one. He sank back to his chair and brought his hands to his lap. It took him quite a while to think of something. Draco was patient and just awaited his answer then he felt himself weaken, his grip on his cup becoming loose.

"I want you to sleep with me, Malfoy."


End file.
